As of this past February I have a new favourite saint: the apostle Matthias. He wasn’t one of the original 12 apostles named by Jesus. Instead, he was chosen by the remaining apostles and disciples after, well, that whole regrettable Judas Iscariot situation.
Greek tradition holds Matthias lived primarily in the port of Issus, preaching around Cappadocia and the Caspian Sea. Some accounts say he was stoned and then beheaded, others that he lived to a ripe old age. St. Matthias is celebrated by the Catholic Church on February 24, the Anglican Church of Canada on May 14 and the Eastern Orthodox Church on August 9.
And that is pretty much all we know about St. Matthias. Which I absolutely love.
We are not told, for example, why he was chosen to replace Judas. Apparently around 120 disciples cast lots in a vote between him and Barsabbas (also known as Justus). Matthias won. This happened before Pentecost, so he was present when the Holy Spirit descended.
Why Matthias was one of the two finalists in Apostle Survivor, nobody knows. But I have a thought about that. And I should preface this by saying I have no evidence to support my theory. It’s mostly my writer’s mind filling in a vacuum of information with a bit of narrative.
When I first heard about Matthias, I called him the patron saint of participation trophies. He got in because apparently the apostles and disciples had to fill the vacancy so they could have an even number again (12 also being rather auspicious in Biblical history).
But I think, maybe, there was more to Matthias. If you’ve spent any time in church communities, you know there are those members who are always just, well, there. They usually don’t say much or call attention to themselves. But the community would crumble without them.
Why? Because they do all the jobs that nobody wants, or that get overlooked. Unasked, they just pitch in and help, wherever they are needed. Does someone need to organize the readers and Eucharistic ministers? They volunteer and prep the rota. Did everyone bring potato salad to the last potluck because nobody thought to get a bit organized? These individuals step up and send out emails so there’s a good mix of food at the next one (including, hopefully, potato salad). Those folding tables set up for coffee after church don’t just put themselves away. Someone has it covered. Oh, and they probably make the coffee too, buy the sugar and milk and ask someone to bake a little treat.
I’d like to think St. Matthias was that person for the early Church. He wasn’t one of the noticeable disciples. He certainly wasn’t as visible as Peter, for example. But, maybe, just maybe, someone put his name forward because they recognized nothing would be getting done without Matthias. And when the disciples cast their votes, maybe the majority remembered all that Matthias had done – with perhaps a little nudge from the Holy Spirit.
So, I’m going to think of St. Matthias often from now on and remember to stop and see all those people working in the background to make sure we have what we need. And that’s not just in church. To paraphrase Mr. Rogers, a modern saint if ever there was one, I’ll look to the helpers. Those that serve without expecting any recognition or reward are the saviours of us all.
Kevin Aschenbrenner is a Victoria-based writer, poet and communications professional. He holds an M.A. in Culture and Spirituality from the Sophia Center at Holy Names University in Oakland, Calif. He blogs at www.dearpopefrancis.ca.
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking, at https://www.timescolonist.com/blogs/spiritually-speaking
*This article was published in the print edition of the Times Colonist on Saturday. September 14 2024
